Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday strongly reprimanded party workers after a section of the audience raised slogans in support of DK Shivakumar during a party programme in Bengaluru. Kharge also warned that disciplinary action could be taken against those responsible for disrupting the event.

The incident took place during the ‘Sankalpa Samavesha’ programme, where party leaders had gathered for an organisational event. According to reports, some workers repeatedly chanted “DK-DK” slogans, prompting Kharge to intervene and ask them to maintain discipline.

Visibly upset by the sloganeering, Kharge reminded workers that the gathering was meant for the party and not for promoting individual leaders.

“This is not an individual’s programme, it is a party programme,” Kharge said while stressing that Congress functions as an organisation rather than around personalities.

The veteran leader also expressed displeasure over the disruption, questioning why a few people should dominate proceedings when many others had attended the programme. Referring to his long political career, Kharge said the party had contributed significantly to the rise of many leaders and emphasised the need to uphold organisational discipline.

Warning the workers against similar behaviour in the future, Kharge said footage from the event would be examined and action would be taken if necessary.

“Discipline is always necessary for the party. Whoever is shouting here, there will be footage. I will take disciplinary action after reviewing the footage,” he said.

The episode once again highlighted the importance the Congress leadership places on party discipline during organisational events in Karnataka.

Senior Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut has sought to downplay the impact of a rebellion by six Lok Sabha MPs from the party, asserting that the organisation will continue to move forward despite the latest political setback.

Speaking as Shiv Sena marked its 60th foundation year, Raut said the party’s future does not depend on elected representatives and that it has overcome several challenges during its long history. He remarked that people may come and go, but the party continues its journey forward.

The comments come amid growing turmoil within the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction after six MPs signalled their intention to break away. According to reports, the rebel lawmakers are dissatisfied with the leadership style of Uddhav Thackeray and have also expressed concerns over the party’s closeness to the Congress.

Among those seeking to leave the party are MPs Omraje Nimbalkar, Sanjay Dina Patil, Sanjay Jadhav, Sanjay Deshmukh, Nagesh Patil Ashtikar and Bhausaheb Vakchaure. Reports indicate that the lawmakers recently met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and cited concerns about the party’s political direction.

Party can rebuild after setbacks, says Raut

Referring to the latest round of defections, Raut maintained that Shiv Sena (UBT) has faced betrayals and internal challenges before and has always managed to recover. He stressed that the party remains cadre-based and is not dependent on MPs or MLAs for its existence.

The Rajya Sabha MP also accused the ruling BJP of attempting to weaken regional political parties across the country. According to Raut, efforts have been made over the past decade to diminish the role of regional forces, and a healthy democracy requires a strong opposition.

The rebellion has intensified speculation about another split within the Thackeray camp, which has already faced major political upheaval in recent years. However, the party leadership has indicated that it intends to continue its organisational work and focus on rebuilding support despite the current crisis.

BJP-backed independent candidate Parimal Nathwani secured a Rajya Sabha seat from Jharkhand on Thursday, with reports indicating that cross-voting played a key role in the closely watched election. The second seat was won by Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) candidate Baidyanath Ram.

The election witnessed a three-cornered contest for two Rajya Sabha seats. Alongside Nathwani and Baidyanath Ram, Congress candidate Pranav Jha was also in the fray. Political observers had been closely tracking the possibility of cross-voting in the state, given the numerical strength of various parties in the Jharkhand Assembly.

Cross-voting speculation dominated the contest

Ahead of voting, both the ruling INDIA bloc and the NDA had taken measures to keep their legislators together amid concerns over possible defections and cross-voting. Political discussions in the state largely revolved around whether legislators would vote along party lines or support candidates outside their alliances.

Nathwani’s victory is being linked to support from legislators beyond the NDA’s expected vote base. Reports after the counting suggested that cross-voting may have influenced the final outcome, helping the BJP-backed candidate secure the required support.

The result comes as another example of cross-voting influencing Rajya Sabha elections, a trend that has been discussed in several states during recent Upper House contests.

Congress candidate misses out

While JMM’s Baidyanath Ram and BJP-backed Parimal Nathwani emerged victorious, Congress nominee Pranav Jha failed to secure one of the two available seats. The outcome is likely to trigger political debate over voting patterns within the state assembly and the extent of cross-voting during the election.